Aug.26 (GMM) Haas team boss Ayao Komatsu has revealed he recently held extended discussions with countryman and Toyota Motor Corporation chairman Akio Toyoda during a special Haas-Toyota event at Fuji Speedway.
The event saw Japanese drivers sample the American team’s Formula 1 car as part of the new Toyota-funded Haas ‘TPC’ program.
While Toyota has no current plans for a factory entry, engine supply or team purchase, the collaboration marks a notable expansion for Gene Haas’ Ferrari-powered outfit.
Toyoda, the long-time driving force behind Toyota Gazoo Racing, was present for the event and spoke at length with fellow Japanese Komatsu, who took over from Gunther Steiner last year.
“I was able to talk with Akio for about an hour at the circuit, and we reaffirmed our vision for what we want to achieve through the partnership between Haas and Toyota, and discussed what we need to do to make it a reality,” Komatsu told as-web.jp.
“At the press conference on the first day, (Toyota Gazoo boss) Masaya Kaji said that we want to ‘create a culture,’ and that’s what I want to do too. I believe that if Haas and Toyota do this together, it will help to establish a culture of motorsports in Japan, and both Akio and myself also feel that way.”
As for Haas’ 2025 season so far, Komatsu admits progress has been made but results remain modest.
“The first half of the 2025 season was full of ups and downs, and while there were many good things, there were still many bad things,” he admitted.
“We made improvements at the seventh round, and an update at the twelfth round made the VF-25 really fast. I’m really happy because I’ve seen how we responded and our teamwork throughout this series of events.”
However, he conceded that ninth place overall is “not where we should be”.
“In terms of car speed, I think Haas is around fifth place, so we need to achieve results that are commensurate with that, and I believe this is possible with this car.”
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